Making a "to do" list
 

I'm a lists person. I know this isn't an anonymous support group. I just needed to get that out there so that there's no doubt as to this short-coming of mine. :)

Anyway - I want to start substituting Spanish words in my lists where I can to help myself become more at ease with the language. So today I'm making a to-do list for after work (I'm a teacher) this afternoon.

If I'm writing a verb on my to-do list, do I use the imperative conjunction - second person singular? For example, would I write: "compra almuerzo para escuela (inclusive manzanas)" ??

What you write is acceptable. Everyone has their own style. I would use the infinitive: comprar instead of compra because it is a to do list.

OH!! That makes a LOT of sense. "TO do". :) What would you call a "to do" list in Spanish?

One way to say it is una lista de hay que haceres

I have to admit that that's WAY too many words for me ... I can't see replacing "to do list" with "una lista de hay que haceres". Hmmmm..... what about "lista a hacer"?

lista de cosas por hacer
lista de quehaceres

Both work.

Hi,

Although, "una lista de hay que hacer" to me sounds literally:

a list of there is must have's :-)

"una lista del quehacer" or "una lista del que hacer", I think both would be acceptable in spanish. :-)


Hernan.

Hernan - when someone in Spain makes a list of things to do, what do they call it? You're saying that certain things sound acceptable or sound "right". But is there a name for it?

Yes, you can do a list to do, or a list for do even, then in my Spanish I would use Voy hacer una lista de quehaceres, Rusty's answer are acceptable, then if you can use other kind of meaning in your own list, then you would use the list as a thing or diary to do.

Okay - thanks all. I didn't mean to take the conversation in a completely different direction. :) I was really just getting at which verb tense to use in my list. I've now added several items to the list (in Spanish) and think that this approach will be beneficial to my learning. Gracias!